Liriope plant named ‘ET-LIR 1’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Liriope  plant named ‘ET-LIR 1’, characterized by its upright to outwardly arching plant habit with long, strong, upright flowering stems; freely flowering habit; large dark violet-colored flowers; good garden performance; and winter hardiness.

Botanical designation: Liriope muscari.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ET-LIR 1’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Liriope plant, botanically known as Liriope muscari and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘ET-LIR 1’.

The new Liriope plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Boijl, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-flowering Liriope plants with long-lasting flowers on strong flowering stems.

The new Liriope plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Boijl, The Netherlands in September, 2007 of a proprietary selection of Liriope muscari identified as code number 1-684, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Liriope muscari identified as code number 4-756, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Liriope plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Boijl, The Netherlands in August, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Liriope plant by divisions in a controlled environment in Boijl, The Netherlands since March, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Liriope plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Liriope have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ET-LIR 1’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘ET-LIR 1’ as a new and distinct Liriope plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly arching plant habit with long, strong,         upright flowering stems.     -   2. Freely flowering habit.     -   3. Large dark violet-colored flowers.     -   4. Good garden performance; winter hardy.

Plants of the new Liriope differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Liriope are broader than leaves         of plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Liriope are more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Liriope are positioned         higher above the foliar plane than inflorescences of plants of         the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Liriope differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Liriope are broader than leaves         of plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Liriope are more freely flowering than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Liriope are positioned         higher above the foliar plane than inflorescences of plants of         the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Liriope can be compared to plants of Liriope muscari ‘ET-LIR 2’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently. Plants of the new Liriope and ‘ET-LIR 2’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Liriope are broader and darker         green in color than leaves of plants of ‘ET-LIR 2’.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Liriope are darker violet in         color than flowers of plants of ‘ET-LIR 2’.

Plants of the new Liriope can also be compared to plants of Liriope muscari ‘Moneymaker’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Boijl, The Netherlands, plants of the new Liriope differed primarily from plants of ‘Moneymaker’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Liriope were taller and broader than plants         of ‘Moneymaker’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Liriope were larger and darker         green in color than leaves of plants of ‘Moneymaker’.     -   3. Plants of the new Liriope were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Moneymaker’.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Liriope were darker in color         than flowers of plants of ‘Moneymaker’.     -   5. Plants of the new Liriope were more winter hardy than plants         of ‘Moneymaker’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Liriope showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Liriope.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘ET-LIR 1’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘ET-LIR 1’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in containers during the late summer and autumn in an outdoor nursery in Boijl, The Netherlands and under cultural conditions typical of commercial Liriope production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 15° C. Plants were three years old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Liriope muscari ‘ET-LIR 1’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Liriope             muscari identified as code number 1-684, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Liriope             muscari identified as code number 4-756, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four weeks at             temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About four weeks at             temperatures about 5° C. to 10° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About ten             weeks at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About ten             weeks at temperatures about 5° C. to 10° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous flowering perennial             plant; upright plant habit with outwardly arching foliage             with upright, strong and long flowering stems; flowering             stems and leaves basal; moderately vigorous growth habit;             moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About 40             cm to 50 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 40 cm to 50 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Basal rosette, simple, sessile.         -   Length.—About 20 cm to 50 cm.         -   Width.—About 1 cm to 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Acicular.         -   Apex.—Obtuse to acute.         -   Base.—Decurrent.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Rough, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Developing and fully developed leaves, upper surface:             Close to 139A; venation, close to 136A. Developing and fully             developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 136B, venation,             close to 136A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Numerous single flowers             arranged on dense terminal racemes; flowers face outwardly;             freely flowering habit; about 150 to 200 flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 15             weeks after planting; in the garden, plants flower             continuously from late summer to late autumn in The             Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about eight to ten             weeks on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Diameter: About 2             mm to 3 mm. Shape: Oval to obovate. Color: Close to 86A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 15 cm to 20 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.5 cm to 3 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm to 7 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 6 mm to 8 mm.         -   Perianth.—Three inner segments arranged in a single whorl             and three outer segments in a single whorl; segments             separate. Inner segments: Length: About 5 mm. Width: About             3 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 86A; color does not fade with development. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 86B; color does             not fade with development. Outer segments: Length: About 4             mm to 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 86A; color does             not fade with development. When opening and fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 86B; color does not fade with             development.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 40 cm to 50 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Angle: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to N186A; towards the apex,             becoming closer to 76A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm to 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm             to 2 mm. Angle: About 90° from the inflorescence stalk.             Strength: Weak to moderately strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 86D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             six. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to             86C. Anther shape: Lanceolate to elliptic. Anther length:             About 1 mm to 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 6A. Pollen             amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 2 mm. Style length: About 2 mm. Style             color: Close to 86C. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma color:             Close to N88C. Ovary color: Close to 86C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Liriope. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Liriope have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Liriope     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Liriope have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures from about −25° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Liriope plant named ‘ET-LIR 1’ as illustrated and described. 